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J. H. SLATER. OFFICE INDICATOR.

N0. 598,163. Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

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JOHN H. SLATER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTA U. SLATER, OF SAME PLACE.

O'FFI CE IN DICATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 598,163, dated February 1, 1898..

Application filed March 5 1397.

To aZZ whom it may concern:.

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SLATER, acitizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation .of my device applied to a door and the door closed. Fig. 2 is a section on line a: a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with the back plate of the easing removed. Fig. 4 is a section on line y y of Fig. 3 and showing the parts in position to be adjusted. Fig. 5 is a detail of the lockingstrip. Fig. 6 is a detail, being a section at z z of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to devices adapted for attachment to ofice and other doors which will indicate to callers when the occupant of the office or building will return or such other information as it is desired to so impart and which is capable of being imparted by devices of this class. I

My device consists of a case containing a number of disks upon which are painted or otherwise affixed suitable letters, figures, or characters thatwill be visible through sightopenings in the case and also having on its surface a representation of a clocloface; and my improvements relate principally to means for automatically locking said disks and the hands or pointers on the clock-face in the positions that they have been set to by the closing of the door, so that evil-minded or mischievous persons cannot alter them after the door has been closed and the occupant departed. I accomplish this object as shown in the drawings and as hereinafter fully described. That which I claim as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 7 indicates a case of any suitable construction and provided with wings 8, each having a slotO, one end of which is enlarged, as at 10, to fit over a screw-head 11 in order to removably attach the device as a Whole to a door, 12 indicating a door, and 13 the casing therefor.

Within the case 7 are three disks 14 15 16,

Serial No. 626,024:- (No model.)

each rotatably secured in place and each projecting slightly from the case, as shown through the openings 17 18 19, respectively, so that they may be separately rotated by the finger of the user in order to bring the desired information opposite the'sight-openings in the case, the sight-openings for the respective disks being indicated by 20 21 22.

23 24 indicate small gear-wheels mounted on shafts suitably secured Within the case 7, and to the shaft of each gear-wheel is also secured a pinion 25 26, the wheel 23 and pinion 26 meshing with each other and the wheel 24 meshing with the pinion 25, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft of the wheel 23 projects through the front of the casing 7 and has attached to it hands or pointers 27, such pointers or hands being for use in connection with the representation of the clock-face 28, which, as shown, is covered with a glass 29.

As shown, the face of each disk 1A 15 16 and of the wheel 24 is provided with a corru gated or roughened portion, (indicated in each instance by (1,) the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

30 indicates a locking-strip inside of the case 7 and extending across such case from side to side thereof and of a width sufficient to extend over the edges of the three disks 14 15 16 and the wheel 24, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. At the points where it comes over the said disks and wheel it is corrugated or roughened similar to the corru gating or roughening of said four parts. This corrugating or roughening of the locking-strip is shown clearly in Fig. 5 and is indicated in each instance by b. 31 indicates coiled springs in front of the locking-strip 30 for holding said strip normally out of engagement with the said disks and wheel 24c when the device is not set for use.

32 indicates a long thin spring of suitable material, bowed upward at its center and bearing at its ends upon the locking-strip 30. 33 indicates another strip of spring material over and in contact with the spring-piece 32 and longer than said piece 32. As shown,

one end of this strip 33 projects under and is held against a shoulder 34 at one side of the case, while the other end projects through 100 door being open the parts are in the position.

shown in Fig. 4, and the disks 14c 15 16, by reason of their slight projection through the openings 17 18 19, can be adjusted readily to the position desired. The hands or pointers 27 can also be turned to the desired positions by means of a knob 37, the turning of which will actuate the wheels and pinions 23 24. 25 26. When the various parts have been set so that the desired indicating letters and figures are visible through the various sightopenings in the face of the casing, the door isto be shut, and as it shuts the extended end of the strip 33 is brought in contact with the usual limit-stop 33 on the door-casing 13, forcing the end 36 of the strip 33 in the crack between the door and its casing and causing the body portion of such strip to be forced outward against the spring 32, which in turn forces the locking-strip against the disks 14: 15 16 and wheel 24, the roughened or corrugated faces a and I) being brought into firm contact, and when in such position the parts are firmly held so that no change in them can be effected without opening the door or breaking the device. The device as a whole is also held securely in place when the door is closed, as with the end 36 of the strip. 33 between the door andthe door-casing the case 7 cannot be moved to bring the enlarged portions 10 of the slots 9 opposite the screw-heads 11, but with the door open the device can be very quickly removed by pushingthe case 7 to one side until the enlarged portions are opposite the screw-heads 11.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, a rotatable disk within said case, and means can ried by the case for automatically locking said disk by the closing of the door to which gail case is attached, substantially as speci- 2. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, a rotatable indicating-disk roughened or corrugated upon one face, a roughened or corrugated locking-piece for engaging said disk, and means for causing such engagement, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, a rota table indicating-disk roughened or corrugated upon one face, a roughened or corrugated locking-piece for engaging said disk, and

- means for automatically causing such engagement by the closing of the door to which said case is attached, substantially as specified.

4:. In an indicator adapted-to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, arotatable indicating-disk, a locking-piece adapted to engage said disk, means for holding the locking-piece out of engagement with the disk, and means for causing an engagement of the two by the closing of the door to which said case is attached, substantially as specified.

5. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, an indicating device within the case, and a strip within and projecting from the case and adapted by the engagement of its projecting end with the door-casing to produce a pressure against the face of the indicating device for locking said indicating device in position, substantially as specified.

6. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, a locking-piece adapted to engage an indicating device within the case, and a strip within and projecting from said case and adapted to be engaged by the casing of the door upon the closing of the door and force said locking-piece into engagement with the indicating device, substantially as specified.

7. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case, a movable indicating device within the case, a locking-piece adapted to engage said indicating device, a spring forholding said locking-piece out of contact with the indicator, a spring opposed to .said first-named spring, and a strip within and projecting from said case and adapted to be engaged by the casing of the door upon the closing of the door and force said locking-piece into engagement with the indicating device, substantially as speci- 8. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case having an indicating-face and hands or pointers on its surface, wheels and pinions within said case adapted when turned to move said hands or pointers, a locking-strip adapted to engage one of said wheels, and means for automatically causing said engagement by the closing of the door to which said case is affixed, substantially as specified.

9. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case having an indicating-face and hands or pointers on its surface, wheels and pinions within said case adapted when turned to move said hands or pointers and one of said wheels roughened or corrugated on one face, a locking-piece roughened or corrugated and adapted by reason of said roughness or corrugating to engage said roughened or corrugated wheel, and means for automatically causing said en gagement by the closing of the door to which said case is affixed, substantially asspecified.

10. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case having an indicating-face and hands or pointers, indicating devices within the case, and means for automatically locking said hands or pointers and interior indicating devices into the positions in which they have been set by the closing of the door to which said case is affixed, substantially as specified.

11. In an indicator adapted to be attached to a door, the combination of a case having an indicating-face and hands or pointers for said face, Wheels and pinions by means of which said hands or pointers are moved, one of said wheels being roughened or corrugated on one face, a series of indicating-disks each of which is roughened or corrugated on one face, a roughened or corrugated locking-strip extending over said roughened or corrugated disks and Wheel, and a second strip projecting from said case and adapted by the closing of the door to force said locking-strip againstsaid roughened or corrugated disks JOHN H. SLATER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, JOHN L. JACKSON. 

